I Love You Before I Am Sure

Ana has lived in Derry long enough to know the rules: don't ask questions, don't wander alone, and don't get too close to people who look like they've seen too much.

Phil always notices where Ana is before he does anything else. He won't admit it even to himself but he tracks their presence instinctively, especially in crowded places.
Their connection starts small. Stolen glances. Short conversations that end before they get too comfortable. Ana senses it and chooses not to pry, which is the first reason Phil lets them stay close.
Phil becomes subtly protective early standing between Ana and strangers, walking on the outside of the sidewalk, lingering until he knows they've gotten home safely.
As Derry grows stranger, they're pushed together by circumstance. Fear becomes something shared rather than faced alone.

Phil is terrible at talking abt feelings,but he's good at talking abt anything else. He always remembers the smalls things. The slow burn lives in the almosts. Almost touching hands. Almost saying something honest. Almost kissing, only to pull away at the last second. Ana believes some people are worth the risk.

Phil gets quietly jealous-not angry, not possessive-just distant and tense when someone else gets too close to Ana.
When the danger in Derry reaches a breaking point, so does Phil. His confession isn't loud or dramatic. It's shaken, whispered in a moment where he's scared, anything can happen to any of you. Once Phil finally lets himself care openly, he's intensely loyal standing beside Ana no matter how dark Derry gets, even if it means facing his worst fears.

In the end, their relationship isn't about fixing each other. It's about choosing to stay,together, in a town built on fear-and refusing to let it take the one thing that feels real.

* This will contain some swearing and sensitive content.